Hidden gems? Bruins mid-to-late round draft projections

Cole Cassels skated in the All-American Prospects Game
in Buffalo last fall. (Getty Images)

The 2013 NHL Entry Draft preview series for the Boston Bruins
returns with a look at some possibilities at all positions (except
for goaltender) in the mid-to-late rounds in Newark, N.J. June
30.

Players who might be on Boston’s list and currently
projected anywhere from rounds 4-7 are analyzed below, with
information gleaned from scouting reports provided by the Red Line
Report independent scouting service 2013 Draft Guide and feedback
from NHL scout sources.

Blaine Byron,
C Smiths Falls (CCHL) None other than Bruins
prospect Ryan Spooner first alerted NEHJ to this prospect earlier
in the season. Although he possesses average height (5-11) and a
slight, 163-pound build, this Jr. B standout and University of
Maine recruit brings an excellent offensive skill set to the mix.
Byron is an outstanding skater with quick jump, top gear and an
even quicker stick. Backs defenders up with his slick inside and
outside moves, but because of physical limitations, can float out
on the perimeter and not go into heavy traffic at times. Having
played at a lower level than in the OHL, he wasn’t as
challenged as he’ll be when he moves on to the NCAA and goes
up against older, bigger, stronger players. However, there is a lot
to like about the offensive upside and given Boston’s ability
to be patient, Byron would be a solid draft-and-stash option for
about 4-5 years down the road.

Red Line Report says: “Playing Tier II
plus getting traded mid-season didn’t help him, but we keep
coming back to the fact that he’s got a higher skill level
than many more highly rated prospects from around the
OHL.”

Cole Cassels,
C Oshawa (OHL) Former NHL pivot Andrew
Cassels’ son was born in Hartford when his dad was a Whaler,
and has exhibited good potential as a two-way forward, even if he
didn’t consistently put things together in his draft
year. Some have questioned the motor and work ethic, but
he’s got good quickness and a slick stick for making plays,
much like his old man. A former OHL first-round pick in 2011,
Cassels has yet to justify that level of confidence and might not
ever do it. Still, for teams that value NHL bloodlines, he’s
not a bad pick to make in the fourth or later rounds.

Red Line Report says: “We’re not
sure his desire matches his talent level.”

Peter
Cehlarik, LW Lulea (Sweden) Czech native playing in
Sweden isn’t the greatest skater, but is a dangerous
offensive player because he has soft hands and good
vision/instincts on the attack. With his size, shot and offensive
upside, Cehlarik has NHL potential but the question right now is
where in the draft you take a prospect who is still very much a
work in progress. This is not a high-end player, but in the right
organization, and with some added quickness to his first few steps,
Cehlarik might develop into an interesting prospect.

Red Line Report says: “Tall and lanky
with great hands, but feet betrashy him."

Brian Pinho
(North Andover, Mass.), C St. John’s Prep (Mass.
H.S.) NEHJ favorite and Providence College recruit
was taken sixth overall in the USHL Phase II draft by the Indiana
Ice. The only thing average about Pinho is his size—does
everything else well and brings a highly competitive attitude and
work ethic to every situation. An effective playmaker and leader,
he’s a versatile center who plays effectively in all zones,
even if he may not project as a top-six NHL forward at present. Not
all are sold on Pinho largely because of the competition level, but
there could be a nice payoff for a team that rolls the dice on him.
Slick and creative, no New England-area forward outside of Zach
Sanford (Auburn, N.H.) did more to raise his stock from the
beginning of the year than Pinho did.

Frank
DiChiara, LW Dubuque (USHL) Late ’93 and
second-year draft eligible really came into his own after being
skipped a year ago. A power forward who tallied 30 goals and 60
points for the Fighting Saints last season, he also scored the
Clark Cup-winning overtime goal, so the New Yorker has a flair for
the dramatic. His feet are heavy, but he is a powerful skater when
he gets up to speed. He doesn’t have a big mean streak, but
will initiate contact and willingly goes into traffic and the dirty
areas of the ice. Yale recruit is projected as a sixth- or
seventh-rounder, but could go as early as the late third or fourth
rounds.

Kurt
Etchegary, C Quebec (QMJHL) This sparkplug and
little ball of hate (5-foot-11, 182 pounds) plays with a lot of
intensity and character. Unfortunately, he was on the wrong end of
the injury bug a lot this year, which cost scouts extended looks at
him. He’s got an underrated scoring profile to go with his
grinding, abrasive style of play. A classic
more-than-the-sum-of-his-parts player, Etchegary does not look
impressive on paper, but gives you every ounce of his talents. His
skating stride is awkward-looking, but he generates enough speed
and quickness to make plays with sheer hustle and hockey sense. If
a team likes this Newfoundland-born pepperpot enough, he might get
drafted in the top-90, but that would be a risky selection given
the injury history. Watch for him to slide a bit and be a value
selection anywhere in the fourth round and beyond.

The Buzz: “He’s probably a
bottom-six forward in the NHL, but he gives you some jam and plays
bigger than he is,” said an Eastern Conference NHL scout.
“He’s fearless, sometimes to his detriment as his
notorious fight with Samuel Morin can attest, but he wants to be a
player and if he can overcome the injuries, very well could
be.”

Red Line Report says: “Good hard, honest
player who works his bag off every shift…missed two thirds
of the season with injuries or would be a lot higher on our
list.”

Mason
Geertsen, D Vancouver (WHL) Known more as the guy
the Giants acquired from Edmonton in sending David Musil to the
Edmonton Oil Kings, this physical defender might only be scratching
the surface, though his mobility is what is preventing him from
being ranked higher. There isn’t a big upside to Geertsen
right now given his limitations and questionable offensive hockey
sense, but Adam McQuaid has demonstrated the value in having the
tough-as-nails shutdown defenders on the lower part of the
rotation. Geertsen is pretty similar to McQuaid coming out of
junior in that he’s going to need a lot of work to improve
his skating (which McQuaid did), but his natural size (6-foot-4,
205 pounds) and toughness/willingness to stick up for teammates
makes him a solid draft option.

Steven Harper,
LW Erie (OHL) Talented forward with questionable
hockey sense played on a bad, bad team in Erie. The former OHL
first-rounder in 2011 is a superb skater with a big-time release
who may be one of those “missing the toolbox” types of
draft projects. His acceleration and speed allow him to generate
more than his share of quality scoring chances, but as scouts get
more looks at him and debate his effectiveness in all zones as a
pro prospect, the questions come up. There is a lot of raw ability
and talent to like, but the hockey sense and uneven effort levels,
along with the struggles that come from playing on such a poor team
make Harper a wild card in this draft.

Ben Harpur, D Guelph (OHL) Huge, toolsy
rearguard has a lot to like, but the hockey sense is what keeps him
down lists lower than his talent would dictate. Massive, at
6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Harpur will only get stronger as he
physically matures and fills out. He has decent speed for his size,
but his footwork and transitions are still a work in progress: has
trouble with shiftier, more elusive opponents who can get inside
position on him or catch him flat-footed at times. A physical
presence who uses his big body to staple opponents to the boards or
keep the front of his net clear, he also uses his long reach and an
active stick to thwart scoring chances. Scouts question the vision
and instincts, saying he tries to do too much and gets caught
running around. There is some untapped potential in a player like
Harpur, but given how raw he is at this stage, any team that drafts
him will have the long view in mind.

Red Line Report says: “Like Kate Upton;
great body, limited between the ears.”

Roberts
Lipsbergs, LW Seattle (OHL) Latvian was ignored a
year ago, but came over to North America and made a great case to
be drafted in his second go around. Gained nearly 20 pounds of
muscle between seasons, and by most reports, the added mass did not
affect his speed and quickness. He gained notoriety for his
performance at the Under-18 championships a few years back, and
while Lipsbergs does not necessarily have a high-end scorer’s
upside in the NHL, he plays with passion, energy and
opportunism.

Red Line Report says: “An excellent
finisher with soft hands and a sniper’s touch around the net,
and has shown much more willingness to win races for loose pucks in
the corners and get to traffic areas than he did prior to adding
the new bulk.”

Eric Locke, C
Saginaw (OHL) Locke came on like gangbusters this
season with the Spirit after a disappointing 2011-12 season when he
started the year as a potential 1st- or
2nd-round selection. Creative and skilled, Locke
show’s a pure scorer’s aggression and patience,
pouncing on loose pucks in close and finishing off plays. As has
been Boston’s M.O. in recent years by taking 2nd,
3rd-year draft eligibles, Locke is a late ’93
birthdate and can therefore play the entire 2013-14 season in the
AHL if an NHL club does not return him to junior. He lacks the size
(5-foot-9) to excel in the tighter-checking contests and avoids the
dirty areas, but has shifty elusiveness, and could raise his
profile with more willingness to come off the perimeter and attack
the center of the ice.

Red Line Report says: “Elevated his game
to an elite level and took over as the unquestioned go-to guy on an
overachieving club. Small, but has the skill and smarts to get into
and out of corners (usually with the puck) without putting himself
in compromising positions."

Nick Paul, LW
Brampton (OHL) Raw power forward didn’t get
much attention this season because of a lack of numbers, but if you
recall the kind of chance the B’s took on Cody Payne (since
traded to Dallas as part of the Jaromir Jagr deal) a year ago, Paul
might get a look. At 6-foot-2, 202 pounds, he already is ahead of
the physical development curve and while his skating isn’t on
the higher end right now, he could make significant improvement
with dedicated instruction and adding a step or two on his initial
burst.

Red Line Report says: “He’s a huge,
powerful winger who can use his hands to beat defenders with
superior puck-handling skills or beat the hell of out them when he
drops the gloves. That’s a rare combination. His club’s
restrictive defensive system prevented him from putting up the
points that garner attention.”

Kyle Platzer,
C London (OHL) Skating under the radar because of
the embarrassment of riches in the two-time OHL champion London
Knights. Although just 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Platzer plays with
energy and grit, embraces physical contact and doesn’t shy
away from the greasy spots in the offensive zone. Platzer lacks
elite upside at the NHL level, but is one of those character
players the B’s value because he never stops moving his feet
and competing. A smart, dedicated player; scouts who watched him a
lot appreciate Platzer far more than those unable to get extended
viewings, but deserves a draft call at some point.

Quentin Shore,
F Denver University (WCHA) Another curious snub
from the 2012 NHL Draft, Shore has one older brother in the NHL
with Florida (Drew) and another in the Kings’ system (Nick),
Shore is coming off a solid 10-goal freshman season with the
Pioneers. With good size, quickness, and offensive potential, the
19-year-old may get a good look this time around. He drives
straight to the net and has a sharp release on his shot. And yet,
it seems like nobody is talking about this guy. If Shore
isn’t drafted, watch for him to evolve into a prized
commodity on the free agent market in a few years, but a team would
do well to consider a late-round draft flyer on him, too.

Carter
Verhaege, C Niagara (OHL) This intriguing centerman
finished his season with a flourish, and then helped secure
Canada’s first Under-18 gold medal since 2008 when his Ice
Dogs were knocked out of the OHL playoffs. His weird skating stride
raises eyebrows with NHL scouts, and is a big reason Verhaege has
not garnered more attention. However, he competes hard and plays a
solid two-way game. He wasn’t a standout on Team Canada in
Sochi, but filled an effective role for depth that overpowered the
opposition. If he can improve his legs, Verhaege has some
intriguing long-term potential, but is still very much a long ways
off.

Red Line Report says: “Sneaky and
subtle…Smart around the net and plays a responsibledefensive
game. Much better speed than we initially thought with increased
leg strength.”

Jaimen
Yakubowski, LW Lethbridge (WHL) Passed up a year
ago, this prototypical Boston Bruin is undersized at 5-foot-9, but
plays the game like a Tasmanian devil, having added significant
strength to his compact, bowling ball-like build. Scored goals and
fought this season for the Hurricanes…A lot. This lower line
project player may lack the height and reach to prevail against the
heavyweights, but those limitations don’t stop him from
turning down every invitation to dance. Yakubowski is an effective
hitter who finishes every check and won’t back down from
anyone. Of course the Bruins already have a similar player in
Anthony Camara in the system, but there’s always room for
more of this type of agitator and grinder hybrid with a little
scoring touch.

Red Line Report says: “Relishes any
chance to get his hands dirty, and always takes the most direct
route to the crease. Once he arrives at net he has a compact
release and quick hands that he used to score 32 goals. And did we
mention that he had 15 fighting majors?”